Kids, Family, and the BOG
I cannot help but think about my kids and my family as I write this article for Kids ENT Health Month. I have four little people who rely on me for love, shelter, and nourishment (mind, body, and soul). I think about them every time I leave for my job in the morning, travel for work on weekends, or participate in AAO-HNS/F activities, whether they be across the country or closer to my home in Virginia where the Academy has its headquarters.
I cannot help but think about my kids and my family as I write this article for Kids ENT Health Month. I have four little people who rely on me for love, shelter, and nourishment (mind, body, and soul). I think about them every time I leave for my job in the morning, travel for work on weekends, or participate in AAO-HNS/F activities, whether they be across the country or closer to my home in Virginia where the Academy has its headquarters. Each moment I spend away, I must reflect on the opportunity cost and the value added. In the end, these experiences must provide value in order to compete with the time lost with friends, family, and loved ones.
As Chair of the Board of Governors, I have the honor of organizing the AAO-HNS/F 2020 Leadership Forum & BOG Spring Meeting. Every bit of it has been crafted to be value-added since I, like you, will spend two to three days away from the people who matter most, and we want to make the most of it for you. This year’s program brings a twist to the Fourth Annual State OTO Society Roundtable. With an invited lecturer who will describe the best practices for forming and maintaining a local/regional society, attendees are certain to go home with new and great ideas. Although it is intended for presidents and administrators of the BOG Member Societies, anyone is welcome to attend. We are also reorganizing Saturday’s programming to make it easier for governors or their alternates to attend the general assembly, which is being moved to the afternoon. Our keynote speaker is Martin Makary, MD, MPH, an internationally renowned surgeon who has had innumerable experiences in quality and cost and will be addressing his ideas on our “broken” healthcare system. Read more about him on page 8. Our closing speaker on Sunday is Allison Linney, MBA, who has a fantastic talk prepared on navigating difficult conversations, which will guide attendees through both delivering and receiving less than stellar feedback. Additionally, the “in between” is stocked with panels organized by some of our Academy’s brightest leaders on allyship, bullying, social media, and the controversies surrounding the assessment of surgical competency. Also, come see what our BOG committees have been up to as they tackle issues ranging from society member engagement, protecting your online identity, and optimizing payer relations.
Although I am sure that all of these informative sessions should be enough to attract you to Alexandria, VA, May 1-3, the intangibles must be boldly stated as well. Reconnect with friends, leverage the networking opportunities, enjoy the local nightlife (and regular karaoke outing), and bask in the knowledge that when we come together as a specialty, we stand united for our profession, our patients, our families, and our children.
I look forward to seeing you in May in Alexandria. As always, attendance is free for AAO-HNS members, so please register and sign up for housing at www.entnet.org/LeadershipForumRegistration. Member login required.